Saints have recovered, starting to believe

Posted by Darin Gantt on November 25, 2012, 8:36 AM EST

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There might not be a hotter team in the league right now than the Saints, winner of five of their last six.

Of course, that might not matter, after an 0-4 start punctuated a tumultuous offseason, which nearly ended their season before it started. Between the bounty scandal that threw a cloud over their season and took coach Sean Payton away, it was hard to see this coming.

“Everything that could’ve gone wrong went wrong, . . . ” Saints quarterback Drew Brees said, via Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com. “If we were worried about the way that other people perceived us, I think we’d be in trouble as this whole thing has gone on. We know we’re a great team. We have great character and leadership. We do things the right way. It’s just been a matter of putting that all together and making sure the result reflects the process.

“Now we’re starting to catch some breaks.”

The one thing that didn’t catch on was self-pity.

“It would have been very easy in a lot of locker rooms to fold up this season and say, ‘Hey look, they dealt us bad cards. You can only play bad cards so well,’” tackle Zach Strief said.

“The best thing we did was stay together,” free safety Malcolm Jenkins added. “We can’t complain about it. We’ve just got to play the best we can. I think everybody has embraced that role and realized we’re going to need a little bit more from everybody to make it work.”

Of course, the work is just beginning, starting with today’s visit from the 49ers followed by road games with the Falcons and Giants, a three-game stretch which will define whether the last month and a half has meant anything.

11 responses to “Saints have recovered, starting to believe”

No matter what the final outcome of this season is, the Saints know with absolute certainty that their fan base will be there for them this year and every year. The connection between us and our team is amazing.

Couldn’t have said it any better. With ALL the distractions circulating this team, it is amazing to watch how things is starting to come together. I can’t think of any other team than say NE, that would of fell apart by now. When you have a team of great leaders and others that’s willing to follow, good things tend to happen. Yes, the defense gives up a ton of yards but they’re starting to gel and make the key stops when needed. Regardless of anyone’s view of the Saints, they’re very fun to watch when they’re clicking.

Goodell got what he wanted. He did just enough damage to the competitiveness of the team to start them 0-4. How how sweet it would be to see him hand Drew the Lombardi in the Superdome in front of 70,000 Who Dats.

Today is their Super Bowl! A win would perhaps give them the added boost they need for the next two big ones, a loss would mean their chances of a wild card spot are pretty much gone. This game is HUGE.

The Saints do not have a championship defense. They are the worst in the league, just look at the stats. They are who we thought they are; a good offense with a terrible defense equals a .500 or less football team.